Pandolfino and his wife launched the Green & Tonic website as a source for healthy foods and juice in in 2009.

In 2012, they opened a location in Darien and Greenwich, and last year, opened another store in Greenwich. They have plans to expand in Westport.

Pandolfino said the competition also is growing, as "everybody's trying to get into the industry," especially in Fairfield County.

"There's a common thread that runs through these towns," he said. "These are highly successful people, affluent, well-educated, and they take their lifestyles seriously. They like to eat right and they understand the relationship that food plays in leading a healthy lifestyle."

Green & Tonic's focus on serving plant-based food and drinks started with the couple's own conversion, as Pandolfino said, to more nutrition-conscious eating.

"We were looking for a way to feel better, a way to get our energy back, and we turned to food to do that," he said.

"We'd been reading a lot about juicing, and we wanted to live kind of a raw, vegan lifestyle, so we started to really experiment with that ourselves, and we really got tremendous results."

The cafe also features kid-friendly snacks and a new breakfast menu that includes oatmeal bowls and granola bowls.

"Think of us as the healthy Starbucks," Pandolfino said. "We're trying to be like the place that you stop into for juice to replace your morning coffee, or if you are drinking coffee, we have that for you as well."

One of the most popular choices at the restaurant is the Green Guru Smoothie, which is made with green tea, coconut water, lemon, spinach, banana, green apple, ginger and mint.

A popular cold-pressed juice is the Green Monster, made with kale, celery, cucumber, apple, spinach, ginger, romaine lettuce, parsley, lemon and spirulina.

Green & Tonic in New Canaan is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information: 203-920-1395 or www.greenandtonic.com.